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I've met Annie now a few times and have come to know her as another superwoman in today's world. She is kind, compassionate, passionate and fearless. She has, and is, a powerful voice in the community.
Annie is showcasing the woman of today's Israel. It is heartwarming to meet someone who seems to be following in our, the women of Tofa'ah, footsteps. Back in 1981 Yona Yacobovitch saw a similar need. Women had very little opportunity for expression (artistic and other). To fill the need she started an all-woman band. The band had a huge impact on the women in Israel to the point where schools for women in the arts were finally established. At the same time Yona and I created a non-profit organization showcasing women's talents. Tof Miriam is still alive and kicking today!
When I think about the treatment and attitudes towards women over the centuries it is nice to see that there has been progress. Many efforts to free us f…

There is a place to sing beautiful music on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem's city center. This video clip was filmed by tourists visiting Israel from Turkey. We are now friends and maybe one day I'll be playing the streets of Turkey! It was a good day that day.

The song I am singing in the video clip above is called "There is a Place". I enjoy performing this song because it is still not final. I improvise as I play it. It is a love song and I love Love songs! I also feel a deep connection with this song to the people I sing to who are living their last days in hospice. (I also am a Certified Clinical Musician - http://www.musicpractitioner.com).
THERE IS A PLACE c 1996 by Rahel (aka Ann R. Silverman-LImor)
There is a place
There is a place in my heart
There is a place
There is a place I find me
I find You
It's the place where our Love dwells
We can know no other
It's the place where our Love dwells
We have each other
We have each other

Another aspect is the Dvar Torah. The student is required to study the portion in depth to acquire a comprehensive understanding of it to then teach it to the congregants. This includes connecting the dots between the ancient and modern - what connections does the student make between his/her life, what is important in his/her eyes, what lessons can be learned... what is the relevance of the Torah portion to the students life today?
I like to compare the student's…

On the civilized side (!) of the border, in Israel, we also find tunnels. Over the decades Israel has invested in improving the roadways by way of ingenius design and planning that includes tunnels, bridges and more! The tunnels I am referring to, however, are more than thousands of years old. These tunnelsare being revealed by archaeological research teams who are uncovering the remarkable lives of humanity's ancient ancestors.

Kabbalat Shabbat - we welcome the Sabbath in song and dance. This afternoon I attended a musical service hosted by Kehillat Shirat HaYam, a conservative congregation in Ma'aleh Adumim here in Israel. The event ad read:

Welcome in a rocking Shabbat with Kehilat Shirat Hayam and the Moreshet Avraham house band - Eitan Cooper, Alan Abbey and David Brinn - and support pluralism and Masorti Judaism in Israel. Great songs and fun. bring your percussion instruments.The event took place locally at Park Shamir. This park always reminds me of the Boston Public Gardens because it even has Swan boats! It also amazes me that Israel can create lakes in the middle of the desert!

This is the headline of an article written about my good friend, Yona Yacobovitz. She is the founder of Tofa'ah, Israel's first all-woman rock band that was established in 1981. I am one of the founding members. Clearly our friendship goes pretty far back.

Yona's unique vision gave birth to alternative avenues of artistic quest and expression when there were none for observant Jewish women in Israel. The impact of the band's mere existence was huge and changed the lives of many.

As an extension of the band we also formed a non-profit organization that focused on and still gives support to women artists in Israel. Tof Miriam: Tof Miriam is dedicated to the encouragement and support of Jewish women artists. We seek to gain respect and recognition for Jewish women in the arts and to develop new forums for the celebration of women's voices and women's experience. We serve to provide cultural excha…

Please enjoy this wonderful video clip from the fabulous tour we had in Israel. This is one of The Healing Light Project's collaborative efforts to fuse our different styles of music into a whole. This is the goal of the project. If we can do this with music then we can also believe that we can connect whole communities together in a positive manner to build world friendships. These are the first steps toward peacemaking! This is a verse from Psalm 90 put to music by Rahel and arranged for performance by Rahel & Amavevane Acapella under the artistic direction of Mr. Future Moyo. The verse jumped out at me in 1995 as I was going through a challenging time in my life. With guitar in hand the melody and chords were gifted me. In 2004 I revisited the song and then recorded it. However, all the years I've had an arrangement floating through my mind. It wasn't until I went to Africa, when I sat down for a first rehearsal with the members of Amavevane Acapella that that arrang…

I thought you might enjoy this choice video clip of the absolute joy that Amavevane Acapella brings to our performances and to the audience. Stick it out to the end. There's so much fun happening here~
This performance, part of THE HEALING LIGHT PROJECT - ISRAEL TOUR, took place at a house concert in Northern Israel at the Rakefet community. We thank Rebecca for loaning her beautiful home and garden. We thank Larry for organizing it!

Please enjoy this wonderful video clip from the fabulous tour we had in Israel. This is one of our collaborative efforts to fuse our different styles of music into a whole. This is the goal of the project. If we can do this with music then we can also believe that we can connect whole communities together in a positive manner to build world friendships. These are the first steps toward peacemaking!

The first part of this song is my version of a popular Jewish song sung in Hebrew known as Hinay Ma Tov. The lyric is from Psalm 133: .הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אָחִים גַּם יַחַד
Transliteration: Hine(y) ma tov u’ma-nayimShevet ach-im gam ya-chad
Translation: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

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Hey! Thank you for visiting me here. I am Rahel (Rah-ckhel, as in Bach). I am a musician, singer-songwriter, Certified Clinical Therapeutic, educator, and writer. Yup and also a mom of two incredibly amazing adult kids.
Music has been in my life for pretty much as long as I can remember. I consider myself a "Folk" musician - I write songs, compose tunes, play the guitar and sing.
It seems, however, as I've been told by many, that I am NOT a folk musician. Apparently I somehow don't fit the mold.
"WHAT? So then how do I classify myself and my music?"
"You're unique, " I've been told. "You have your own style and your songs are in a league of their own."
"Oh dear. Well, there is no category called 'Unique'. Eclectic maybe? Contemporary? Ambient? World?"
"Yes, those and more. All of them. Versatile. You're music is beautiful. I love your music. It's just, well, unique Like you!"
Welcome to my unique world. If I might offer one small piece of advice? Please don't postpone JOY!
Welcome to my blog, "The Eccentric Musician".